Talking Trash with La Crosse’s recyclers Gary and Zach Harter

The city of La Crosse's contractor, which deflects our recycled products from hitting the landfill, won an award for the high percentage of reusable products being captured. Zach Harter with Green Circle Recycling joined WIZM's La Crosse Talk, along with his dad, Gary Harter, owner of the originating company Harter's Quick Clean-up.  Green Circle is the recycling company that is affiliated with Harter’s Quick-Cleanup. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently announced Green Circle as the winner of the 2024 Wisconsin Recycling Excellence Awards. The recognition is for going above and beyond what is required by law to divert items from landfills. Of note, the DNR news release also recognized UW-La Crosse and Greater La Crosse Region Habitat for Humanity for its efforts on student-move-out day to give items to the Habitat ReStore versus putting them in dumpsters. It is estimated that the program saved eight-tons of household furniture from the landfill. Zach Harter said it has ramped up its ability to sort single-steam recycling into the many types of products. The company expanded its conveyors taking the single-stream recyclables to the sorter from nine to 65 and has optical and two advanced sorting robots. Zach said the company recirculates rejects from the sorter a second time to ensure everything detectable can be found. The technological advances increased their processing rate by 58% from 2022 to 2023. The release from the DNR also touted Green Circle’s public education efforts with its popular “Touch a Truck” event. Zach’s dad Gary joined the conversation when asked about what he experiences with large item disposal now that the La Crosse City Council voted for a second year to not pick up the items as a service. Gary said he hasn’t heard of many problems. The items find their way to their facility where people have to pay or the landfill. He doesn’t hear of a lot of items being dumped on other people’s property. With nine children, Gary has several in the refuse business. Zach and brother Matt – a former La Crosse Mayor – both work for Green Circle. Miles Harter started Dynamic Lifecycle Innovations on French Island. Gary’s refuse company also collects trash in more than 15 eastern-Wisconsin counties out of their second Fox Valley location.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.